Guide to Postpartum Rights

If you are about to give birth or have recently given birth, you should know what you are entitled to receive under the law, with regard to the issue of maternity leave from the workplace and the payments you are due from the National Insurance Institute - birth grant, maternity pay, and in some cases - childbirth allowance. The article below will specify all the information on the subject to help you understand your rights.

Maternity Leave

By virtue of Employment of Women Law, every female employee is entitled to maternity leave. The duration of the leave will be determined based on the time actually worked for said employer. If you have a partner, they may split maternity leave with you (only after 6 weeks from birth). Additionally, if you have a medical problem that is preventing you from caring for the infant, your partner can take full maternity leave in your place.
In addition, if you have a medical problem that prevents you from taking care of the baby, your partner can take a full maternity leave in your place, provided that you have medical confirmation of your condition and that the baby will be under their exclusive care during this period.

For information about eligibility for maternity leave on the Kol Habriut website

For information for the mother’s partner – eligibility for full maternity leave

For information for the mother’s partner – eligibility for partial maternity leave

Birth Grant

The birth grant is a one-time amount of money that is given to every mother who is a resident of Israel or who works in Israel. The amount is based on the number of children in the family. In other words – for the first baby, you will receive a higher birth grant. From the second child on, the amount decreases.

The birth grant will be automatically paid to you upon receipt of a report from the hospital about the birth (in case of a home birth, the report will be sent from the Ministry of Health). There is no need to submit a claim with National Insurance.

At the same time, there are cases in which you will need to submit a claim with National Insurance to receive the birth grant:

• Birth outside of Israel – valid only if the mother is a resident of Israel or is married to a resident of Israel.
• Adoption.
• Surrogacy – the intended parent should receive the birth grant for participation in the initial expenses.

The claim for a birth grant may be submitted through the National Insurance Institute website or a claim form may be submitted in the National Insurance branch nearest to the place of residence.

For information about the birth grant on the National Insurance Institute website

For information about the birth grant on the Kol Habriut website

Childbirth Allowance

Fathers who choose to take paternity leave - together with the mother or instead of her (to share part of the period with her) - can receive a paternity allowance. It is important to note that in this case the payment will be at the expense of the days of eligibility for maternity leave. The mother will also have to issue written notice that she is giving up part of her maternity leave and returning to work during the period when the father went on paternity leave in her place.

for information on the period of eligibility for paternity allowance on the National Insurance Institute website

For information on paternity allowance on the Kol Habriut website

Terms of eligibility

National Insurance several criteria used to determine eligibility for childbirth allowance. Parents who satisfy the criteria are eligible to receive payment.

For information on the terms of eligibility on the National Insurance Institute website

Period of eligibility

The period of eligibility for childbirth allowance is determined based on the number of days you worked and paid National Insurance prior to going on maternity leave – this period is also known as the qualification period.

For information on the period of eligibility on the National Insurance Institute website

Amount of the childbirth allowance

Calculation of your childbirth allowance will be based on the amount of your salary if you are a salaried employee or salary of the months prior to maternity leave if you are self-employed.

For a calculator to determine eligibility for childbirth allowance on the National Insurance Institute website

For a calculator to determine the amount of childbirth allowance on the National Insurance Institute website

Submitting a claim

To receive the childbirth allowance, you will need to submit an application for payment of the childbirth allowance. The application can be submitted onlineן or may be completed manually and submitted to the National Insurance branch nearest to your place of residence.

There are circumstances where the childbirth allowance will be automatically transferred to your bank account (the details of which you provided at the hospital in the case of a first birth, or to an account where you are already paid child benefit), without the need to file a claim:

• When your employer has an arrangement with National Insurance.
• If you are self-employed: payment will be transferred to your bank account, once the childbirth information is sent from the hospital to National Insurance.
• If you received from National Insurance an allowance fore pregnancy bed rest until delivery.
• If you received unemployment benefits from National Insurance until one month prior to the birth.

Information on a claim for a childbirth allowance

For the online claim form for payment of a childbirth allowance

For a printable claim form for payment of a childbirth allowance

Maternity Allowances

There are several special allowances related to childbirth that you can receive from National Insurance provided that you satisfy all of the terms of eligibility:

• Multiple birth allowance: The multiple birth allowance is a monthly amount paid by National Insurance in the birth of 3 babies or more in one delivery, or in the case of parents who have given birth to 3 or more babies in close deliveries (if discussing babies born to different women, separate births and small time differences (as a result of adoption or surrogacy).
  If you satisfy the National Insurance terms of eligibility, your allowance will be automatically paid to you within one month from the birth, to the bank account in which the child allowance is paid and if this is the first childbirth – to the bank account you provide the hospital.
  
• The disabled mother allowance: National Insurance Institute offers special allowances to disabled mothers who are unable to care for their baby:
  
  • The allowance for a disabled single mother is designed for single mothers who were granted a 100% earning incapacity.
  • A childbirth allowance to the partner: if the disabled mother is in a relationship, the partner may be eligible to receive payment of the childbirth allowance instead. For more information about the terms of eligibility, amount of the allowance and submission of the claim on the National Insurance Institute website